It's been a tough tournament for El Tri, but a final appearance is in sight.

It's been a rocky ride for Mexico and Panama in this year's Gold Cup, but eventually, they met expectations and figured out how to get to the semifinal. On Wednesday, they'll play for a spot in the final alongside the winner of the earlier semifinal between the United States and Jamaica.

Panama were in a group with the U.S. and drew all of their games, including a disappointing draw against Haiti. They needed...